Employers could be held criminally accountable for wage defaults: regulation

BEIJING -- Employers who are suspected of the crime of refusing to pay the salaries of migrant workers shall be transferred to judicial organs for investigations, according to a regulation set to take effect on May 1.

Promulgated months ago, the regulation on guaranteeing the payment of wages to migrant workers vows harsher punishment for illegal acts and has been hailed as an important legal weapon for addressing the "persistent ailment" of wage defaults.

Employers owing migrant workers wages shall pay them in accordance with the law, the regulation notes, clarifying the primary responsibility of employers in this regard.

According to the regulation, employers in wage arrears to migrant workers with serious consequences will be included on a "blacklist" and face restrictions in terms of acquiring government funding support and government procurement contracts, among other aspects.